Metro: Return to Glory Pt1
by SpartanRanger2033
Summary: In the summer of 2013, mankind is devastated by nuclear war. Earth is left largely uninhabitable for several years. A century later, humans fully join the ranks amongst the stars. Disclaimer: I claim ownership over neither the Metro series nor Mass Effect, both belong, respectively, to BioWare, and Dmitri Glukhovsky (As well as 4A studios) Rated M, for strong language, and gore.
**Hello, yes, im not dead, sorry for not continuing with 'A Rangers Friends' but i decided the whole project was too poorly executed, so i figured _"_ _hey, fuck it, I'll just re-do the whole concept, since it was so cringe worthy last time"_ and yes, to those of you who read my original story, it is GONE! G-O-N-E, Goodbye, have a nice existence in the trash bin. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy this attempt.**

 **Xxx**

Timeline

-[Welcome, User, to the D-6 Historical Archives]-

-[Displaying: History of The Soviet Union, Cold War, and The Rangers]-

Retrieving files…

12/30/1922: Russia transitions from the Tsarist Empire to the communist Soviet Union. After a brutal civil war and the death of the Romanovs, Russia no longer is a monarchy.

1/21/1924: Leader of The Soviet Union and founder of the Bolshevik party, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, dies of a cerebral Hemorrhage. After a period of time, and against Lenin's wishes, Josef Stalin becomes Prime Minister of the USSR.

1/30/1933: Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany, marking his rise to power as a definite event to come.

5/15/1935: The extensive and ornate Moscow Metro has it's grand opening, becoming the first underground railway system in the entire Soviet Union.

8/23/1939: The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact is signed in Moscow, displaying a promise of Non-Aggression between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

-[Second World War (1939-1945)]-

9/1/1939: German and Soviet military forces invade poland, officially marking the beginning of the Second World War.

6/-/1940: The LuftWaffe begins their assault on Great Britain, dragging the country into a massive fight for life against well-trained pilots, and numerous bombing runs, leveling entire districts of major cities.

6/22/1941: Hitler breaks the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, sending his newly reformed Wehrmacht, and the deadly Waffen SS carving through Soviet land.

12/7/1941: After remaining neutral to the conflict spreading across Europe, and the Japanese empire expanding across the pacific, The United States is hit by a surprise sneak attack by the Japanese imperial Navy at Pearl Harbor. This lead to the destruction of many American naval vessels and marked the nation's entry into the war.

6/3-7/1942: The battle of Midway, a fight between the great navies of the United States of America, and the Japanese Empire, over a small Island in the Pacific ocean. This marks the end of the Japanese expansion, and the start of the 'Island Hopping' campaign in the pacific.

7/28/1942: Soviet leader, Josef Stalin issues order No. 227, making further retreat from Wehrmacht advances an act of treason, punishable by court martial, or death, with the slogan "Ni Shagu Nazad!" or, "Not One Step Backwards".

1942-2/2/43: The battle of Stalingrad, the event containing some of the most fierce and brutal fighting on the Eastern Front, eventually devolving into skirmishes over single city blocks, or even individual buildings. After months of combat, the Wehrmacht and SS stationed in the city are cut off from supply lines, are surrounded and eventually surrender to the Red Army. The brutal Russian Winter wreaked havoc on the ill-prepared German troops, with reports of Wehrmacht machine gunners frozen-solid in their posts, still clutching their weapons.

7/5-8/23/1943: The battle of Kursk, a decisive Soviet victory against the German Panzer Korps, despite the grueling conditions, less-advanced vehicles, and drawn out fighting, the stagnation of the frontline at the Kursk Salient was finally broken in a massive tank battle between German Panzer and Tiger tanks, and the much faster Soviet T-34s. Germany would never again achieve a major combat victory in the east, as the soviet line pushed westward, towards Berlin.

6/6/1944: In an attack codenamed "Operation: Overlord", western allied forces invade the beaches of Normandy, France. Sustaining heavy casualties during the initial beach landings, British and American troops eventually break through the heavily fortified Atlantic Seawall. This is the beginning of the collapse of the Western Front, with all of the experienced German troops fighting the Russians in the east, all that was left were new recruits to defend occupied France.

7/23/1944: Red Army forces discover the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland, finding the malnourished and demoralized prisoners, and liberating the facility. This discovery further drives home the idea of revenge in the minds of the soldiers, as many more camps are discovered.

4/16/1945: Soviet troops enter Berlin, signaling the end for Adolf Hitler's dream of a "Thousand Year Reich".

4/30/1945: Adolf Hitler, wracked with the fear of what would happen if the Red Army captured him, commits suicide, along with his lover, Eva Braun.

5/8/1945: Known as VE day, this is the official date of the end of World War 2 in Europe, allowing for more focus on the remaining Axis power, Japan.

8/6/1945: Launched from a nearby US-occupied island, the Enola Gay, B-29 Superfortress bomber flies to Hiroshima, Japan, dropping the product of months of weapons research, the atomic bomb, nicknamed 'Little Boy'. The destruction was so great, that entire city districts were reduced to ashes, shadows were burned into walls from the immense flash, described as 'brighter than a thousand suns'. This marks the first nuclear weapon ever detonated in an act of war, in all of human history.

8/9/1945: Three days after Hiroshima was leveled, a second bomb, carried by the B-29 "BocksCar", was dropped over Nagasaki, with similarly devastating effects, including the nuclear fallout and background radiation. However, due to the hilly terrain of the area, the actual blast-damage was lessened, despite the much more powerful bomb.

8/15/1945: VJ day, the date upon which, much to the Japanese military command's dismay, Japan finally surrendered. This lead to a number of suicides within the imperial command structure, and even a plot against the emperor himself, as many high ranking military officials were prepared to fight to the last man in the name of their empire.

-[End of Second World War timeline]-

-[Cold War Begins]-

-/-/1947: Soviet Premier, Josef Stalin, in response to growing fears of nuclear conflict with the west, orders the construction of a secret military tunnel system, deep under Moscow. The system of tunnels would come to be known as Metro-2 and would be widely written off as an urban legend.

-/-/1949: The secret tunnel line under Moscow is half complete, Stalin calls for an edit of the original plans to make the centerpoint base in the line twice as deep, to accommodate new nuclear weapon designs.

3/5/1953: Josef Stalin dies of a brain hemorrhage in Moscow, leading to a power struggle in the Soviet government, eventually leaving Nikita Khrushchev as Premier.

6/19/1953: Three years after being discovered selling nuclear research to the Soviet government, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed for espionage, successfully removing a major source of information on America's nuclear program for the Soviet Union.

-/-/1955: The Metro-2 tunnel system is fully complete and operational, despite being two years behind schedule, functioning not only as an emergency military base, but also as the main nuclear and aerospace research facility for the Soviet Union.

10/4/1957: The first man-made satellite, 'Sputnik' is launched, causing a massive panic across the western world, as it shattered the notion of Soviet technology being low-tech junk.

2/2/1959: Locals report strange lights in the night sky near Kholat Syakhl or "Dead Mountain",Siberia, in the area where Igor Dyatlov's ski team is camped for the night.

2/12/1959: Dyatlov's ski group is reported missing, as they have not reached their destination within the planned time.

2/26/1959: Russian authorities sent to search for the nine missing skiers discover their base camp. The tent where the expedition were sleeping appeared to have been torn open from the inside, in a panic. Searching for the skiers, the party followed tracks left in the snow leading away from the camp, many of which were barefooted, despite sub-freezing temperatures reported in the area.

2/27/1959: The search party comes across the frozen corpses of the ski expedition, including its leader, Igor Dyatlov. The bodies are reported to have an abnormally orange skin tone, high radiation levels, and strange injuries ranging from fractured ribs and skulls, to even missing tongues and eyes. The bodies were found extremely underdressed for the snowy conditions, implying they rushed from their camp in a panic, running from something. This event becomes known as the 'Dyatlov Pass Incident' gaining a massive following in the paranormal community, due to the strange nature of what happened.

3/2/1959: In the follow-up search of the area, military personnel recovered strange, other-worldly artifacts, matching the radiation levels on the bodies of the ski expedition. The find was immediately reported to the KGB, never being revealed to the public.

3/-/1959: Objects recovered from the incident site near Kholat Syakhl are transferred to the D-6 research facility in the Metro-2 line, study begins.

6/-/1959: Strange anomalies are reported in the tunnels after the artifacts were retrieved, such as voices coming from empty rail sections, lights with no source, and feelings of uneasiness, the phenomenon is labeled "The Dyatlov Effect". Study of the objects is postponed and they are placed in storage.

5/1/1960: American U-2 Spy plane pilot Francis Powers is shot down over the soviet union, escalating the already-high tensions between the USA and USSR.

1/20/1961: John F. Kennedy is elected president of the United States of America.

4/12/1961: In another embarrassing event for the west, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to enter space.

5/25/1961: President Kennedy, in response to the Soviet dust the US has been eating in the 'space race', announces his intention to land an American on the moon by the end of the decade.

8/13/1961: A wall is erected in Berlin, Germany, separating the communist east, from the capitalist west, this leads to civil unrest, as families are separated, and half of the city is cut off from receiving aid, and rebuilding from the destruction wreaked when the city was sacked.

10/31/1961: The Soviet Union, in a massive display of force, detonates a 50mt bomb, known as the Tsar Bomba, in Siberia. The blast was so enormous, it remained the largest nuclear detonation for at least 52 years, and the mushroom cloud, in comparison to the Nagasaki bomb, was incomprehensibly massive.

2/10/1962: Downed U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Powers is exchanged for Rudolph Abel, a captured Soviet spy.

10/16/1962: United States overhead photographs of Cuba, uncover secret Missile bases set up by the USSR. A mere 90 miles from American shores, the news causes a panic known as the 'Cuban Missile Crisis'. The crisis is resolved when Soviet premier Khrushchev, during a meeting with President John Kennedy, agrees to dismantle the bases if the US does the same in Turkey.

6/26/1963: Kennedy delivers his "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" speech in Berlin, in an attempt to gain support from German citizens.

11/22/1963: John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas while on live Television broadcast. The death of the beloved president causes even more distrust with the Soviet Union, as conspiracy theories popped up about the assassin being a Russian sleeper agent.

-[Error: This segment is missing files, we apologize for the inconvenience]-

-[Missing Timeline Segment: 1964-1986]-

Retrieving Files…

6/12/1987: While visiting Berlin, US president Ronald Reagan directly addresses the Soviet premier on the issue of the 'quarantine' of Berlin in his speech, being quoted as saying, "Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall!".

5/15/1988: Soviet forces begin withdrawing from their campaign to assist in a communist revolution in Afghanistan, after the the CIA-funded afghani rebels prove too well adjusted for the Russian troops.

2/2/1989: Soviet forces fully withdraw from Afghanistan, ending the Russo-Afghan war.

11/9/1989: The Berlin Wall is demolished, showing the decline of Soviet control in Germany.

7/-/1991: Warsaw Pact dissolves entirely, and the Soviet Union begins losing political control in eastern europe.

12/25-26/1991: The cold war is declared as entirely over, and the Soviet Union collapses, declaring itself as no longer a communist state.

-[End of Cold War]-

2000: Former KGB member, Vladimir Putin, is elected President of The Russian Federation. His unorthodox methods are seen as brutish by the UN, but nothing is done regarding it.

9/11/2001: In a major terrorist attack, the largest of its kind, Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda has members hijack multiple commercial airliners, and fly them into multiple different targets in the United States, including the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon, in Washington D.C.. This event causes empathy from all over the world as former enemies mourn the bitter loss of so many civilian lives.

2002: An increase in Chechen terrorism attacks puts pressure on Russian officials to take action against the hostile extremists in Chechnya.

2004: Putin is re-elected as president of Russia.

12/16/2006: Syria begins experiencing Civil unrest, however, the Syrian government quells any signs of rebellion swiftly and mercilessly.

-/-/2006: Wanting to give Russia a name in the aerospace world again, Putin secretly orders the conversion of one of D-6's missile silos to house both a Lunar Colonization module, as well as a facility to train the crew.

2007: Russian Spetsnaz operators intercept a stolen shipment of weapons and munitions on its way into Kazakhstan, to be sold to Al Qaeda. Amongst the shipment, more artifacts are discovered, similar to those found after the Dyatlov Pass incident. The find is reported and the objects are sent to Moscow.

5/8/2008: Russian President Vladimir Putin is Appointed prime Minister, as part of an executive order.

12/-/2008: Prime minister Vladimir Putin orders the revival of the Dyatlov research program. Due to the outlandish nature of the project, however, very few know of its existence.

11/23/2010: The research performed on the Dyatlov Pass artifacts, and those intercepted by spetsnaz in Kazakhstan, has revealed that the objects emit a radio frequency identical to that emanating from an area of Mars, discovered by the Viking 2 orbiter in 1978. Funding for the research program is severely decreased, however, as the year proves to be quite economically troubling.

2011: Heavy civil unrest in Syria sparks into an all out war, between the Syrian rebels and the national government. The war begins to get out of hand rapidly, as the Syrian army is reported to be using chemical weapons, such as nerve gas, on both peaceful demonstrators as well as the rebels.

2012: Due to the numerous Human Rights violations in the Syrian Civil War, and the lack of United Nations responses, The United States, England, France, and Russia, in an attempt to raise public opinion, form a military alliance. The alliance, known as the International Military Response Coalition, or IMRC, becomes involved in the Syrian Civil War. The Coalition fought on the side of the Syrian rebels, as the use of chemical weapons was seen as the last straw.

-/-/2012: Despite a lack of funding, and numerous calculations issues, the Granitsa I Lunar Colonization craft is ready for launch within its modified Missile Silo in the D-6 missile command base.

2013: The unrest seen in Syria, began to spread heavily, all across the Middle East, into nations such as Iran, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. Fighting sprung up all across the region.

IMRC troops begin pouring into Damascus, as victory against the Syrian national army is within reach. The capital city is under siege for months, as the enraged rebel forces and the Coalition troops, assigned to help the revolt, are met with stiff resistance from the Syrian army.

7/2/2013: During the Battle known as the Siege of Tehran, Iranian rebels seized what they believed was a conventional portable missile platform, and hid it away in a camp outside the City limits.

7/5/2013: The Apocalypse, the day mankind had dreamt about ever since we first could dream. What the Iranian rebels had previously thought as conventional explosives, had been a medium yield nuclear warhead. The detonation triggers retaliatory strikes across the world, leaving the planet a smoldering ruin within hours, Those who survive do so by hiding underground either in homemade shelters in the countryside, or by hiding in the sewers and subway tunnels located in major population centers. Global politics becomes a thing of the past, as contact is cut off from the outside world.

-[Beginning Of Post-War Era]-

7/6/2013: The Metro Central Command, a contingency plan put in place by the Soviet government, in the case of a major disaster, goes into effect. Putin remains in power, though his influence is decreased, from lack of communication outside of the metro.

9/23/2013: A gang of neo-nazis causes havoc in Rizhskaya station, violently beating people of national heritage that wasn't Russian, and vandalizing living quarters, before being detained by the local guards. The event shows the start of a long period of racially-inspired violence.

2/19/2014: As a result of increasing frequency of mutant attacks on the stations, and a growing hatred towards it, the Metro Central Command is dissolved. In its place, Polis, an amalgamation of three separate stations, is formed, becoming a hub, due to its location in the center of the metro.

3/19/2014: Former Russian president Vladimir Putin passes away from a malignant brain tumor. The knowledge of the Metro-2 system dies with him.

2014: Stations in the Moscow metro begin to form independent 'nations' with the tunnels in between being largely uninhabited.

'anomalies', or 'dark stars', large masses of pure electrical energy, begin to appear within the Moscow Metro.

6/9/2014: Merely one year after the apocalypse, the citizens of the Timiryazevskaya station are hit with another major disaster, an immense swarm of rats tears across the tunnels and station platforms, consuming all who are unfortunate enough to be in its path. The swarm only leaves a handful of survivors, who escape on a handcart. As the rats rampage through the tunnel, they are only stopped at the nearby station of Savyolovskaya, the guards of which, use a makeshift flamethrower to exterminate the swarm.

8/19/2014: The Hanseatic League, or simply Hanza, and the Arbat Confederation are formed. The two are immediately allied with one another, and Polis, becoming the Three most powerful factions in the entire metro, controlling the flow of currency, and supplies.

9/2/2014: The first recorded Nosalis attack happens in Paveletskaya, marking the actual discovery of this mutant species.

10/17/2014: The first metro-made weapons, the AS-14 'Svoloch' and a few crude copies of the Colt Python, are manufactured in 'Armory Station', or Kuznetsky Most.

2015: The first series of major, radiation-related birth defects begin to surface in newborns. Issues like mal-formed internal organs, extra limbs, and missing vital organs. Most of the children do not survive longer than a few days, for some, even a few hours is a miracle.

7/5/2015: Two years after the apocalypse, the first expedition is sent to the surface of Moscow, to scavenge for supplies and assess whether or not the idea of emerging from the metros is an option. The group returns bearing news of incredibly high radiation levels and unbreathable air, above ground.

2/13/2016: In the set of consecutive metro stations, called the Red Line, a communist faction, of the same name, springs up, its policies highly reminiscent of the Stalinist-era Soviet Union.

4/4/2016: A group of three children, armed with a stolen hunting rifle, and dangerous curiosity, sneak to the massive steel door at the VDNKh frontier, and open it, with the desire to find out exactly what lie above. Frightened by a howl, the trio attempt to close the door, but it remains jammed open.

6/23/2017: As a response to growing mutant attacks and ever-bolder bandit groups, a pseudo-military corps, calling themselves, 'Rangers of the Order', or 'Spartan Rangers', is formed. The group is made mostly of ex-Spetsnaz, VDV and Riot-control operators, as well as locals, who prove themselves to be excellent marksmen.

2018: Groups of Russo-centric gangs and neo-fascists come together and take control over the Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, and Pushkinskaya stations. The inhabitants begin to call themselves 'The Fourth Reich' in a nod to their racially-charged hatred, inspired by Adolf Hitler's Nazi Third Reich. The Reich immediately becomes hostile towards The Red Line, and Hanza, as well as executing anyone of non-Russian descent, or anyone who isn't seen as genetically pure, who are unfortunate enough to cross their path.

2020: A new species of mutant is discovered on the surface, canis terribilis, known as Howlers, or Watchmen, they appear to be descended from wolves, native to the region. Atypical to their ancestors behavior, the Howler is extremely hostile towards humans. Despite this, it is possible to train them, suggesting the behavior is due to the absence of human interaction.

2022: As a result of rising tension, resource strain, and the desire for more territory, The leader of the Red Line, Maxim Moskvin, declares war on Polis and Hanza. The war lasts for two years, with the Ranger Order getting to prove their fighting prowess against the enemies of Polis, their home base. The war ends with the Red Line losing some of their territory, and asking for the Lenin Library station, as it is named after the founder of the Bolshevik party. However, the request is not accepted, and the communists are left to make do with what they have.

2025: War breaks out again, as the Red Line is assailed by the forces of the Reich. The conflict lasts for another 9 years, most of which is spent stalemated in the frontline, located in the tunnels between Pushkinskaya and Lubyanka.

2028: The VDNKh Exhibition station forms a trade alliance with Alexeyevskaya, and Rizhskaya, known as the VDNKh Commonwealth. The agreement allows for the increase of VDNKh's popular mushroom-tea industry, and the defense of the member stations against VDNKh's open frontier, a known place for mutants to enter the tunnels.

2029: Citizens of VDNKh begin having a collective epidemic of strange, vivid dreams, the dreams mostly including incredibly tall, dark-skinned, lanky humanoids, devoid of mouths, yet still able to speak. Citizens experiencing the dreams describe the creatures as having an unsettling appearance, but an aura that gave a feeling of comfort and stability.

2030: The VDNKh Exhibition station begins experiencing a large increase in mutant attacks, becoming greater in both strength and frequency.

2032: Panic tears through VDNKh and the surrounding stations, as the dreams have begun to come true. The tall, lanky and nightmarish figures show up at the guard checkpoint, leading from the surface entrance to the tunnels. The guards eventually push the advance back, but many are driven insane, by some apparent psychic influence. The creatures are labeled as 'Dark Ones'. Sukhoi, the man in charge of VDNKh's trade, suggests that they are the next step in human evolution, Homo Novus.

2033: The word of VDNKh's trouble reaches Polis, and a ranger, known as 'Hunter' is dispatched to assess the situation. Upon his arrival, he learns of how bad it has truly become.

5/28/2033: Hunter meets with Sukhoi, and his adopted son, Artyom. The three discuss the matter of the dark ones, eventually leading to Artyom leaving for Rizhskaya on a mission for Polis, unknown to his father, who believes he will return immediately.

6/10/2033: In a stroke of pure luck, Artyom is rescued from the Fourth Reich by a pair of Rangers, Ulman and Pavel. Artyom and Pavel steal a Reich rail car, attempting to sneak through, but their cover is blown, and Pavel dies, after sacrficing himself, detonating a grenade to kill a horde of Nosalises.

6/11/2033: The stagnation on the Red Line and Reich frontlines is finally broken, when patrols are met with no resistance from the Reich positions. The Reich troops are all found unconscious and unarmed. All prisoners kept on the Reich end of the tunnel section are freed, and tell of a single young man, incapacitating the entire garrison stationed there. The remaining Fourth Reich soldiers prove to be no match for the advancing hordes of the Red Line. This marks the last major conflict in the Red Line-Reich war.

6/13/2033: After a long, and arduous journey across the metro, Artyom finally reaches Polis, and speaks with the leader and founder of the Ranger Order, Col. Aleksandr Miller, about the dark ones. The two confront the Polis Council, who agree not to assist.

6/14/2033: Outraged, Miller tells Artyom that he will gather the rangers, as he has a plan. Artyom is sent to the Lenin memorial Library, on the surface, and told to retrieve the D-6 military base plans, which he believes are locked away in the lower levels.

7/3/2033: Artyom arrives in Sparta Base, a surface outpost set up in a bombed-out church, he holds the key to the secret Metro-2 line, with the locations of all access points.

7/4/2033: Artyom, Miller, Ulman, and the other rangers sent on the mission, arrive in D-6. The group re-activates the base's emergency generators, but find the reactor to be malfunctioning. Artyom and Miller enter the lower levels of the installation, discovering an immense fleshy organism growing on the reactor fuel rods. The beast is wrested from the reactor, despite its attempts to fight back, and power is restored. In the main control room, Miller's solution to VDNKh's problems are realized.

7/5/2033: On the twentieth anniversary of the apocalypse, three of the remaining six nuclear missiles in Moscow are launched, being targeted from the top of the Ostankino Broadcast tower. The missiles impact directly in the middle of the Moscow Botanical gardens, where the Dark ones made their home. Artyom, realizing his terrible mistake, is distraught, when he is telepathically informed by the dark ones, of their original peaceful intentions, mere moments before their annihilation.

8/19/2033: The Rangers begin setting up operations in the D-6 base, Artyom is appointed to the rank of Ranger, and remains within the base, and becomes known as 'Savior of The Metro' and becoming a celebrity of sorts, whilst performing the normal duties amongst the other rangers.

2034: The Rangers of the Order gain renown all over moscow, even from their enemies. The Reich and Red Line begin to kick off hostilities with one another. Starting the Second Reich-Red Line war, the conflict once again stagnates with a lack of victories for either side.

12/30/2033-2/15/2034: The lower levels of the D-6 installation are purged of mutants, except for one sector, the keycode for which, is lost. The biomass on the base's main reactor is exterminated, allowing for the full potential of its power generation to be used.

4/23/2034: A massive increase in recruits signing up for the rangers happen, as more hear of their exploits. At the end of the month, their numbers are more than five times what they had been.

6/13/2034: A scouting mission in the ruins of the botanical gardens reports a single surviving Dark One, merely a child.

6/19/2034: Researcher, Leonid Lesnitsky goes missing from D-6, along with a canister of weaponized Ebola Virus.

6/20/2034: Artyom is visited by Khan, a mysterious man whom he met in his journey to help VDNkh. Artyom is told of the report, and is given the suggestion of making peace with the young dark one, to see if it would end his guilt-wracked nightmares.

6/27/2034:Artyom is sent with Miller's daughter, Anna, to kill the creature, much to Khan's dismay, as he knows of their peaceful desires, chalking the damage done by them to psychic-incompatibility,since the human mind had not been inoculated to the influence.

7/3/2034: After being captured by the Reich in the Botanical gardens, Artyom escapes, along with the rest of the prisoners in the Stalag, marking the first major discovery of how the places operate. He escapes with the help of a Red Line soldier named Pavel Morozov.

7/4/2034: Col. Miller's daughter, Anna, Artyom's partner, is captured by Lesnitsky, who was revealed to be a double agent for the Red Line.

7/5/2034: In what is later revealed to be a deliberate bio-weapon attack, the Oktyabrskaya station residents are stricken with a deadly and very contagious disease, with the station needing to be purged with the use of flamethrowers. Artyom, being in the area, fights the Red-Line members tasked with cleaning out the virus and purging the evidence of their involvement. He finds out this is where Lesnitsky has taken Anna. After a bloody fight, and the capture of Lesnitsky, the two escape into the custody of a nearby station.

7/9/2034: Artyom once again comes into contact with the Dark One, and they escape to the surface, where the dark one uses its psychic abilities to aid Artyom's journey.

7/10/2034: Hostilities re-ignite as the Red Line start offensive maneuvers against numerous stations. The leader, Moskvin decides to agree to the peace-council meeting that has been requested.

7/11/2034: Artyom, Khan and the Dark One arrive in Polis, the three talk to Miller, who is initially angered by how it is still alive, but his tone changes when the dark one communicates with him, displaying their true nature. During this communication, it is revealed that there are many more surviving dark ones in D-6, lying dormant. The four make their way to the peace council, where the leaders of Polis, Hansa, Reich, and the Red Line are making demands. The dark one, after seeing what is happening, sends the council members into a vision, inside of Moskvin's mind, revealing the plan to take over the metro using the Bio-Weapon. When everyone regains consciousness, the dark one had disappeared, and Ranger troops had recieved word of D-6 being under siege, signaling the start of the Great Metro War.

7/12/2034: The morning after the Council meeting, Artyom and Miller arrive in D-6. After a morale-boosting speech to the rangers, Red Line forces begin pouring into the defenses of the facility under the orders of Col. Korbut, the Red Line military commander. The conflict is not confined to D-6, though, as communist troops attack Hansa, Fourth Reich, and independent stations. After a single hour, the D-6 defenses, to Korbut's disappointment, are still standing, while very weakened.

7/13/2034: In a last attempt to break the ranger's defenses, a massive charge is given by the Red Line infantry, this fails, as the remaining rangers, including Miller, Artyom, and Ulman, hold them off, despite dwindling numbers. Then, when the defenders believed victory was in sight, the Red Line unleashes their secret weapon, an armored train. The locomotive smashes into the platform where the rangers are set up, carving through the defensive lines, and killing off many of the surviving Rangers. Miller, in one last act of defiance, tells Artyom to detonate the explosives rigged to the D-6 structure. However, at the last possible moment, the little dark one returns, along with the rest of his people, who decimate the Red Line forces with psychic manipulation, and sheer intimidation. Korbut, his psyche shattered, is taken captive by the remaining Ranger forces

Late 2034: After the siege ends, a memorial service is held to commemorate those lost in the defense of D-6, including Ulman, and the majority of the Rangers. Miller, who lost his legs in the final attack, continues to direct the Rangers. The dark ones vanish, promising to return one day, to help all mankind.

2035: Anna and Artyom become married, and the couple has their first and only child, Dmitri. Anna officially retires from the Rangers, to raise her son, whilst Artyom, no longer wracked with guilt, becomes the most highly decorated member of the Spartan Rangers.

2036: After two years of a multi-front war, the Red Line surrenders, and is forced to dissolve. The Great Metro War is over. The prowess of the Rangers fighting spirit, despite the odds against them, draws in another recruitment spike from all over the metro.

-[End of Metro War era]-

-[Start of Reunification]-

2039: Radio contact is achieved with Kiev, Vladivostok and Volgograd. Information is shared between the cities. This event is marked as the first long-distance radio contact with the outside.

2042: Stalkers from the VDNKh Commonwealth stations discover a massive cache of weapons on the surface. The find is reported to Polis, who dispatches the Rangers to retrieve the stash. A separate team of 20 rangers are equipped with rebreathers, for extended exposure to the surface, and ordered to head west, to Kiev, and meet with the survivors there.

2043: Three stalkers wander into polis via an abandoned tunnel, in horrid condition, malnourished, beaten, and very ill. Two die before help arrives, the last remaning of the three tells of monsters along the line, Giant arachnids. Polis' station guards patrol the tunnel, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

The first series of surface-ready vehicles are created in Polis, mostly cargo runners,

2045: The Rangers sent to Kiev return, along with an ambassador from the Ukrainian capital. Trade is established, and more Ranger squads are sent further west, looking for any more surviving populations.

2046: Andrew Seruzhov, a smithy working in Kuznetsky Most begins manufacture of the first handheld weapon, capable of firing using a set of electromagnetic rails, rather than gunpowder, the idea catches on quickly with Ranger snipers, as the 'Volt-Drivers' as they were called, prove to be extremely accurate, but impractical for close quarters.

2047: Radiation levels above Moscow drop to moderately dangerous levels, allowing for longer time on the surface without need for a respirator. The drop is seen as abnormally quick for such a large scale nuclear disaster. Rangers, sent westward, establish contact with numerous other cities in Eastern Europe, such as Warsaw and St. Petersburg.

2050: Traders from nearby independent stations find the Reich territories completely abandoned, as if everyone had packed up and left. The eerie disappearance remains a mystery for many years.

Ranger divisions sent out west come back to Moscow bearing news from Western European cities, like Berlin, Paris, and London, who had also been scouting out for survivors. England is also discovered to be refurbishing ships, to attempt to regain knowledge of the situation in the Americas.

2051: The first trade convoys make the full trip across Europe, from Moscow to London, and back. The only major obstacle being the native mutants, and the unpredictable weather over the English Channel. The dark ones make their long awaited return to Moscow, and are heartily accepted by the rangers whose lives they had saved, seventeen years prior. It is discovered that, while the dark ones did leave, they remained close-by, so as to inoculate the survivors to their psychic influences, and allow their minds to become more compatible.

2052: Dmitri, Artyom's son, is formally inducted into the Rangers, and displays marksmanship skills to rival his father. Artyom, Anna, And Dmitri decide to adopt the surname, Zaytsev, to preserve their lineage.

2053: Contact is reestablished with the crew of a washed-up, Russian Nuclear Submarine on the coast of New York, in the United States. The transmission is patched through to D-6, being relayed through numerous cities. The descendants of the original crew tell of the situation in the United States' East Coast.

2054: Janitorial staff in D-6 accidentally open a long-sealed portion of the base. The find is reported to Col. Miller. The group of Rangers and researchers who enter the area, find nothing but old research notes, and strange objects, in a container labeled 'Dyatlov Pass Artifacts'. The discovery is relayed back up to Miller, who assigns another team to look over the notes.

Along with the research notes, a modified Missile Silo is found, which was not on the plans to the facility, suggesting it was brand new addition when the war occurred. The silo contains a massive rocket, with a crew compartment, and numerous vacuum suits in an off-shoot tunnel. Along with the Rocket, a small training facility is found, with equipment all in remarkable condition, the sector is identified as an Aerospace Training lab, albeit a small one.

2055: The (formerly) little dark one, who had exposed the plot by the Red Line to take over the metro, adopts the name Vestnik, or messenger, as it was the one given to him by Artyom, when they met.

2056: After being repaired to near-perfect condition, the first Post-War maritime fleet is ready to sail to the Americas from England's shipyards. The HMS Elizabeth II, a modified aircraft-carrier, sets off into the Atlantic.

The Metro government is dissolved, due to it becoming obsolete in the face of the new Euro-Senate, and the Rangers establish themselves as the police force in Moscow.

2057: Miller retires as leader of the Rangers, leaving Artyom in charge, who goes on to open up recruitment to anyone, including those from outside Moscow.

The Dark One, Vestnik, who Artyom had tracked down twenty three years prior, is inducted into the ranks of the Rangers, and is the first to do so. The decision is met with skepticism, but goes unopposed.

The English fleet makes contact with the Americans, who had managed to re-unify under a government called the Washington Republic. The HMS Elizabeth II enters English ports bearing news of the situation, as well as the Republic's newest representative in the Euro-Senate.

2058: Contact with Berlin, Germany, is lost, as the city is taken over by the Fourth Reich, who had come out of hiding to retake the birthplace of their ideology. Counterattacks made by a joint operation force of Muscovite Rangers and English militia members prove to be ineffective against the defensive lines the Reich put in place.

After two months of no progress, an agreement is made to leave the Fourth Reich to their devices, but allow them representation in the Senate.

Radiation levels in Moscow, the highest of the active cities, drop to levels where respirators are not required, but protective gear is still recommended for extended periods of time.

2059: In a meeting between representatives of each of the major factions in Paris decides that a major contact effort is to be made in Asia, with nations like China and Korea. At the same meeting, the discovery of the Granitsa I lunar colonization mission plans are made public. Plans are made to begin training a crew for the eventual mission despite the growing fears that Moscow is focusing on space exploration much too early. The Dark Ones make themselves known to the rest of the nations, much to the chagrin of more bigoted individuals.

The first commercial, transatlantic voyages are made available to civilians, and the shipping lanes begin to flow again, as more ships are refurbished within the dry-docks of England and the Washington Republic.

2060: The Fourth Reich makes demands to be allowed the rest of Germany. After threats to end the decade-and-a-half of peace that had been going strong, Artyom, and Leader of the new English parliament, William Shephard, agree to let the expansion to occur. The Granitsa I crewmen are selected, one man from each of the major players in the political game of Post-Apocalyptic Earth. The long and painstaking training process begins, as mission control staff are also hand picked from the various factions.

2061: Artyom Zaytsev formally leaves the Rangers, and has his son, Dmitri, take the reigns.

The Granitsa I crew complete the first part of their training.

In Florida, a state in the Washington Republic, finishes repairs on their launch pad in Cape Cod, as they receive the plans for the rocket that will hold the building supplies for the lunar colony.

Contact is made in Beijing, China, the situation is remarkably tame, as it seems China's large population proved able to sustain massive loss of life, as was seen in the apocalypse. The government, whilst still communist, had remained largely intact.

2062: Construction of the Granitsa I supply rocket is complete, the parts are left in storage in New Miami.

Dmitri Zaytsev, leader of the Spartan Rangers, marries an English woman named Elizabeth Sunderland.

The Dark Ones, also known as, 'the angelics' to many, finish integrating themselves into human society. It becomes common practice for them to telepathically manipulate perception of themselves to be seen as just other humans.

Former Leader of The Ranger Order, and Anna Zaytsev's father, Aleksandr Miller, passes away in his sleep, at the age of 85. His Funeral is attended by many, including former, and active Rangers, as well as persons from outside of Moscow, who had heard of his exploits. Many dark ones are present at the ceremony, showing their nature as more human than previously thought.

2063: No contact is made with Korea, as the majority of the region above the 38th Parallel is too treacherous to cross.

Dmitri and Elizabeth Zaytsev have their first children, a pair of twin boys, on the 17th of May. The two are named Arkady and Boris, after the famous pre-apocalyptic authors, whose works had gained popularity amongst those who could obtain legible copies.

2064: Joint-ops reconnaissance teams from Europe are unable to find Japan, it is theorized that the Island was entirely destroyed when nuclear explosions triggered a massive tectonic catastrophe. As the nation was well known for earthquakes, the blasts must have triggered a tremor strong enough to send the whole of Japan into the pacific, much like the fables of 'Atlantis'.

2065: A massive communications relay is completed in Moscow. The relay tower was deemed a necessary project, as the upcoming Granitsa I mission would need better long range communications. The relay is built on the highest point of the Ostankino Broadcast tower, which, amazingly, survived both the Great War of 2013, and over five decades without maintenance.

Elizabeth Zaytsev, Dmitri's wife, bears a third child on July 5th, the child is a girl, who they name Natasha.

2067: The first commercial airplane flights across Europe are started, first being only available between St. Petersburg and Berlin, however, private efforts to clear runways of debris make more cities available to air travel.

2068: Both the Granitsa I crew, and the subsequent mission control staff complete the last of their training.

Much to the dislike of the order, The Spartan Rangers are no longer directly represented in the Euro-Senate, instead falling under the representation of Moscow, the city in which their headquarters lie.

Contact is reestablished with the remaining major cities in Russia, and the nation becomes re-unified under the New Russian Federation.

2069: The world watches with bated breath as many gather around the Moscow outskirts to watch the Granitsa I launch. At first, the mission is ridden with many issues, as the fuel in the engines is outdated and dirty. Miraculously, however, the launch is success and the Colonization lander is guided into place right in the Shackleton Crater.

The supply rocket, containing building materials and gear needed for terraforming an area for the base, is launched. This launch, unlike the first, is much more difficult, as the lack of an on-board crew makes guiding it very complicated. The rocket lands 2 miles outside of the expected landing zone, and the pod sustains minor damage.

After two months, and one more re-supply launch, the colony is finished, and the base is named 'Armstrong Outpost' after the first human to walk on Earth's Moon, Neil Armstrong.

The Euro-Senate commissions new, more efficient spacecraft designs.

The Ares I mission is planned for a Mars landing by the end of the Century.

2075: Boris Zaytsev, child of Dmitri and Elizabeth Zaytsev, is stricken with polio at only twelve, marking the first major case of the disease since its vaccine was created in the mid 20th century. Boris is confined to a wheelchair as he loses motor control of his legs, but remains in good condition otherwise.

2080: Anna Zaytsev, wife of Artyom, is diagnosed with cancer. Her condition quickly deteriorates, leading to her death on July 7th. Artyom, distraught over the loss of his wife, cuts himself off from the world, and disappears, planning to live out his days with the Dark Ones, shortly after the funeral. Anna is buried next to her father, in the Moscow Cemetery.

2085: Arkady Zaytsev finishes his training as a Spartan Ranger, displaying the marksmanship skills present through his family line, he joins the 3rd Recon sniper division.

The same year, his younger sister, Natasha, also is inducted into the Rangers, but becomes an intelligence officer, rather than serving in combat.

2087: The first prototype of the SZ-82 'Griffon' spaceplane is sent on its test-flight. The design, whilst crude, allows the crew to escape the Earth's atmosphere, and gravitational pull using much less fuel, and requiring much less of a straight angle. However, upon re-entry, the wings are unable to take the stress, and are torn from the craft, the crew, including Ex-Ranger, Svetlana Kirilenko, and Richard Burch, a member of the New London Guard, survives with major injuries, including broken ribs, and internal bleeding. The crew is immediately hospitalized upon retrieval.

Ranger scouts sent south retrieve intelligence, showing that access to Africa cannot be achieved via land, as the Middle East was reduced to a wasteland, with nothing more than a few nomadic tribes and large groups of hostile raiders.

2090: Artyom, the savior of the Metro, after a long period of meditation with the telepathic Dark Ones, makes a long awaited return to Moscow, at the age of 77 he is welcomed back into the fold, and returns to VDNKh, where he writes the novel The Autobiography of a Spartan. The book is quickly published upon completion, and becomes a bestseller across Russia.

The Ares I Mission is launched from Cape Cod, Florida, landing its crew, Joseph Ramirez, Robert Johnson, and Kelly McKenny, for a quick mission on Mars, for ground samples and scouting for an eventual colony.

2095: Natasha Zaytsev marries a gunsmith from Kuznetsky Most, Moscow, named Yaroslav Seruzhov. She bears their first and only child, a boy, named Seryozha.

2097: After ten years of modifications and failed voyages, the SZ-82-A4 is launched, Successfully orbiting Earth. Upon re-entry, the spaceplane is undamaged, as more strength-focused materials were put into the wings. The design is quickly adopted by the EuroSpace committee, the Aerospace division of EuroSenate. The craft is quite large with a wingspan of 120 feet, and a length of 225 feet.

An Australian Navy cruiser docks in Beijing China, marking the first contact made with the island nation, which had been almost entirely untouched by the nuclear war. Commercial traffic begins.

2100: The Fourth Reich, in Berlin, declares war on the New Russian Federation, who had allowed nomadic tribes from the Middle-East to settle in the SouthEastern Steppes. This display of hostility further solidifies the Fourth-Reich's ideals of Slavic Supremacy. The war becomes known as the 'Great German Purge' due to the number of executions made during the duration.

The 'Great German Purge' is snuffed out when threats of nuclear retaliation are made by Moscow towards the Reich capital of Berlin, who had forgotten about the remaining nuclear missiles in D-6.

2101: Dmitri Zaytsev passes the title of Admiral onto his son Arkady, who selects Boris, his wheelchair-ridden brother, as his close second in command. Immediately, the war against the Reich escalates, as Boris shows his tactical brilliance.

In the weapons factory at Kuznetsky Most, the first mass-produced 'rail guns' are manufactured for infantry sniper use. The models are labeled the XS-101 'Hellbreath', due to their high accuracy, and extreme stopping power, they become very popular amongst rangers and mutant-hunters.

2103: Ares II, a Martian colonization mission, begins, with the use of a heavily modified S-82-A5 'Griffon' which was updated to carry the building supplies and equipment. The colony had finished construction on the 21st of August. The colony is named 'Lowell City', the colony is located in Eos Chasma on Mars, becoming the first permanent civilian settlement on the planet. Missions soon begin to bring the more wealthy citizens of Earth to the Red Planet.

Arkady Zaytsev, whilst unmarried, has a daughter with a Ukrainian Tailor, the child is named after her mother, Sasha, who dies during childbirth. Arkady vows to raise his daughter properly. And due to his predicament, leaves the leadership of the Rangers, and puts Natasha in charge.

2111: Artyom, at the age of 98, passes away in his sleep, however, the Dark Ones, display their ability to preserve one's consciousness within their psyche, by taking the mind of the hero, and keeping it within a realm known as 'The Sanctuary'. The action is met with extreme disapproval by his son, who recognized that his father wanted rest and peace. However, when it is revealed that this was done with many others, including Aleksandr Miller, Anna, and many of the Rangers killed in the siege of D-6, Dmitri retracts his statement, as the realization comes that he will still be able to contact Artyom.

2120: Dmitri Zaytsev dies of an undiagnosed brain tumor. Despite his sudden death, his consciousness is still preserved by the Angelics. Elizabeth, his wife, drinks a vial of Hydrogen Cyanide out of grief, killing herself, to join her beloved husband.

Sasha Zaytsev, son of Arkady, becomes the first in her family's line to turn down an invitation to join the Rangers, instead, opting to continue her mother's tailor shop in Odessa, Ukraine.

The son of Natasha Zaytsev is injured critically during a training operation in Moscow. The near death experience and miraculous recovery, leads him to be nicknamed 'Lucky Serro' by his squadmates.

2132: The Rangers become an independent military force, acting like a PMC, but their loyalty remains true to humanity's advancement.

2147: A strange material is found on Mars, the material exhibits many of the same qualities as the artifacts found within D-6, in the 'Dyatlov Research Lab'. The material is officially labeled 'Element Zero' and becomes nicknamed 'Dyatlovium' after the man whose mysterious death led to its original discovery in 1959, however, the nickname is replaced by 'Eezo' as it is much easier to pronounce, and easier to understand its origin.

2148: Miners come across a massive cache of ancient Alien Technology in the Southern Polar region. Research reveals the existence of FTL (faster than light) travel technology. Schematics are drawn up for a space exploration vessel, that utilizes the new tech. The vessel, when completed is to be armed with the best weapons available. The race responsible for the tech are called the 'Protheans'.

The first FTL ship is created, the ESS Magellan.

2149: The Euro-Senate creates a governing power for the colonies under human jurisdiction, the system is started as The Systems Alliance.

Data translated from the Prothean cache on Mars reveals Pluto's moon, Charon, is a 'Mass Relay', a giant station with the purpose of sending crafts to locations, multiple light years away, almost instantaneously.

The Pluto relay is activated by a team of explorers, lead by John Grissom. The expedition discovers that the Pluto Relay is one of a vast network, capable of transporting vessels across the galaxy. The team finds themselves in Arcturus, 36 light years from the Sol system, humanity's birthplace.

2150: Boris Zaytsev, acting second-in-command for the Ranger Order, is assassinated. The death of this beloved member of the Zaytsev lineage hits the Order hard, as never before had such a cowardly action taken place within their ranks.

The Systems Alliance begins surveying the area on the other end of the Relay, discovering planets like Terra Nova, and Demeter.

2151: In the hopes of defending their colonies, the Systems Alliance commissions the creation of a large military fleet and space station at Arcturus. The first ship of this fleet becomes named the ASV Artyom's Flame in memory of the man, who, without which, mankind would never have made peace with the Dark Ones, and never re-unified with their help.

An incident at an Element Zero storage facility in Singapore, leaves many exposed to a powderized form of the material. 30% of children born to those affected develop cancerous growths on their bodies.

2152: The first Extra-Solar colony is established on Demeter. Additional colonies are put in place on Eden Prime, and Terra Nova.

A deal is made between the Rangers of The Order and the Systems Alliance Navy to have a number of Rangers stationed on board the Artyom's Flame, as a result of the growing wish to see combat again.

Natasha Zaytsev, acting commander-in-chief of the Rangers, passes the title to her son, Seryozha.

The SU-149 'Stallion' Space-Fighter is adopted by the Alliance Navy.

The Ranger Order starts a division of fighter pilots, nicknamed the 'Don Cossacks', also adopting the SU-149.

2154: Another publicized incident occurs where humans are exposed to Element Zero.

Conflict with the Fourth Reich sparks up once again, when a special strike force hijacks military vessels docked outside of Frankfurt. Five Alliance Navy Cruisers, two Super-Carriers, and two Main Battleships, the ASV Koniggratz and the ASV Phoenix are lost. The pursuit doesn't last long, as the strike teams retrieve The Fourth Reich's entire military force, leaving the civilians leaderless, and evacuates them off of Earth. Before the pursuit is cut short by the ships entering uncharted space, the Reichsfuhrer (head of state), Karl Dubrovka, makes a promise to return to earth, and "cleanse the world of the impure". The loss of the nine vessels puts a major dent in the Alliance navy, however the lost vessels are planned to be replaced.

2156: The Systems Alliance Navy inaugurates their new headquarters at Arcturus Station.

The Fourth Reich, operating from an unknown area of space, begins small raids on the outermost human colonies, making off with manufacturing tools and machinery. Attempts to follow the strike teams fail, as the pursuers are lead through a number of treacherous regions.

A small number of children exposed to Element Zero begin to show minor telekinetic abilities.

2157: Due to the frequent use of the local Mass Relay, Pluto's orbit becomes circularized.

2/15/2157: A Reich raiding party is captured by a squad of Rangers on Eden Prime, however, attempts to interrogate the captives fail, as they mysteriously die.

-[End of timeline information]-

-[If you would like to see certain dates added, please contact your local Intelligence officer]-

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 **Xxx**

 **Wow, 16 follows, already, you guys m** **ust really be scraping the absolute bottom of the shit barrel here. Okay, enough of the self depracating humor, anyways, I'm still in school, so new chapters are going to take a long time, since research papers are a thing I need to deal with.**


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